The Health-Wealth Connection
Understanding the Impact of Medical Debt
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
8:30 am – 12:00 pm
FRBSF Los Angeles Branch
950 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
or
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
East Bay Community Foundation
200 Frank H Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA
Over two million Californians have medical debt. These residents find it difficult to access needed health care or affordable credit. Even with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, many East Bay residents will continue to struggle with medical debt that makes it harder for them to pay other bills and leads to financial and mental stress. A recent report from the Pew Research Center, found that the median wealth of white households is 20 times that of African American households and 18 times that of Hispanic households. African Americans and Latinos are more likely to be in debt and to suffer the worst impact on their credit rating. For Californians with medical debt, both their physical and financial health are at risk.
In order for California communities to be healthy, we must address both health and wealth issues. There are clear connections between poverty, lack of health insurance, and poor health. In regions of California with a poverty rate greater than twenty percent, almost all had life expectancies more than two years lower than the state average. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, now is the time to come together to discuss new opportunities to expand access not only for health but also for savings.
Join the New America Foundation, in partnership with the Alameda County Department of Public Health, the Select Committee on Financial Empowerment, and the Alameda County Community Asset Network, a coalition convened by Urban Strategies Council, for the unveiling of a new report from the New America Foundation that outlines the consequences of medical debt in the United States and proposes policy solutions to address this problem in California, including strategies that draw upon federal health reform. We will discuss the latest research, current legislation and concrete strategies that policymakers, healthcare professionals, financial service providers, and advocates can support to reduce the burden of medical debt, create savings opportunities, and improve health outcomes in the East Bay.
Agenda for Los Angeles event:
Please arrive 15 minutes early to pass through security.
8:30 am – Registration
9:00 am – Introduction and Welcome Remarks
9:10 am – Symposium Overview
- Melody Nava
Regional Manager, Southern California, Community Development
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
9:20 am – Public Policy Strategies to Address Medical Debt and Achieve Financial Security
- Mark Rukavina
Executive Director, The Access Project
Author of the report, “Tarnish on the Golden State: How Medical Debt Threatens Family Financial Stability” - Leif Wellington Haase
Senior Health Fellow, New America Foundation - Olivia Calderon
Director, California Asset Building Program, New America Foundation - Jose Quiñonez
Executive Director, Mission Asset Fund
Open Discussion
10:30 am – Break
10:45 am – Private Sector Role in Support of Innovative Health-Wealth Strategies
- Lisa Richter (moderator)
Principal, GPS Capital Partner - Rachelle Wenger
Director, Public Policy & Community Advocacy, Catholic Healthcare West - Forescee Hogan-Rowles
President and CEO, Community Financial Resource Center - Lynn Yonekura, M.D.
Director, Community Benefit, California Hospital Medical Center Foundation - Open Discussion
11:55 am – Next Steps and Closing Remarks
- Olivia Calderon
Director, California Asset Building Program, New America Foundation
To RSVP for the event, go to the event page on the New America Web site.
Agenda for Oakland event:
12:00 pm – Introduction and Welcome Remarks
- Anita Siegle
Director, Alameda County Department of Public Health
12:15 pm – Event Overview
- Lisa Forti
Program Coordinator, Urban Strategies
12:30 pm – Panel Discussion
- Carmen Nevarez, MD, MPH (moderator)
Vice President, External Relations and Preventive Medicine Advisor, Public Health Institute - Mark Rukavina
Executive Director, The Access Project
Author of the report, “Tarnish on the Golden State: How Medical Debt Threatens Family Financial Stability” - Leif Wellington Haase
Senior Health Fellow, New America Foundation - Olivia Calderon
Director, California Asset Building Program, New America Foundation - Arnie Becker
Financial Counselor, Fremont Family Resource Center
HICAP Medicare Counselor
To RSVP for the event, go to the event page on the New America Web site.
For questions, contact Elizabeth Wu (510) 295-9859 or email wu@newamerica.net.